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The Paris prosecutor announced four more arrests Tuesday in connection with the stunning heist at the Louvre Museum in October by a gang that made off with $102 million worth of jewels. The two men and two women taken into custody are from the Paris region and range in age from 31 to 40, said the prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, whose office is heading the investigation. Her statement didn't say what role they're suspected of having played in the Oct 19 theft. Police can hold them for questioning for 96 hours. French media report that one of those arrested, a 39-year-old already known to police services, is believed to be the fourth member of the team thought to have carried out the daring daylight robbery and is from Aubervilliers, a suburb north of Paris other suspects have connections with. The other three alleged members of the so-called commando team have been previously arrested and face preliminary charges of theft by an organised gang and criminal conspiracy. Their DNA has been .
The Paris prosecutor said Saturday two new suspects were handed preliminary charges for their alleged involvement in the crown jewels heist at the Louvre museum, three days after they were arrested by police as part of the sweeping investigation. Laure Beccuau, the prosecutor, said in a statement that a 37-year-old suspect was charged with theft by an organised gang and criminal conspiracy. The other, a 38-year-old woman, is accused of being an accomplice. They were both incarcerated. They both denied involvement, the prosecutor said. The lawyer for the woman, Adrien Sorrentino, told reporters his client is devastated" because she disputes the accusations. "She does not understand how she is implicated in any of the elements she is accused of," he said. Five people were arrested by police on Wednesday in connection with the case, including one tied by DNA. Three have been released without charges, Beccuau said. Two earlier suspects, men aged 34 and 39 from Aubervilliers, north o
The Louvre's director on Wednesday acknowledged a terrible failure at the Paris tourist attraction after a daylight crown jewel heist over the weekend, and said that she offered to resign but it was refused. The world's most-visited museum reopened earlier in the day to long lines beneath its landmark glass pyramid for the first time since one of the highest-profile museum thefts of the century stunned the world with its audacity and scale. In testimony to the French Senate, Louvre director Laurence des Cars said that the museum had a shortage of security cameras outside the monument and other ?weaknesses? exposed by Sunday's theft. Under heavy pressure over a heist that stained France's global image, she testified to a Senate committee that she submitted her resignation, but that the culture minister refused to accept it. Today we are experiencing a terrible failure at the Louvre, which I take my share of responsibility in, she said. The thieves slipped in and out, making off wit
The Louvre said on Monday it would remain closed a day after historic jewels were stolen from the world's most-visited museum in a daring daylight heist. The museum's staff asked dozens of visitors who were queuing in front of the glass pyramid entrance to leave the site. In a message posted on the social media, the Louvre said visitors who have booked tickets will be refunded. It did not provide additional details. On Sunday, thieves rode a basket lift up the Louvre's facade, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels, officials said. The theft about 30 minutes after the museum opened, with visitors already inside, was among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory. It unfolded just 250 meters from the Mona Lisa, in what Culture Minister Rachida Dati described as a professional, four-minute-long operation. French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin acknowledged security failures on Monday. One can wonder about the fact that, for exam
The Louvre Museum in Paris is evacuating all visitors and staff and closing early Saturday because it received a written threat. It said the move was linked to the government's decision to put France on high alert after a fatal school stabbing by a suspected extremist. The Louvre communication service said no one has been hurt and no incident has been reported. Paris police said verifications in the museum are underway. Police officers cordoned off the area as tourists and other visitors streamed out of the museum. The French government raised the threat alert level and is deploying 7,000 troops to increase security after Friday's school attack. The government is also concerned about fallout in France from the war between Israel and Hamas. The Louvre, home to masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, welcomes between 30,000 and 40,000 visitors per day.